On 25 September I flew with Easyjet from Verona to Gatwick, having also used my Easyjet flight booking to book car hire with Drivalia. I had specifically booked a small car (VW Polo or similar) because I knew I was going to be the only person using this car during the whole 10-day rental period. I paid €214.57 for the car hire using my credit card. My flight was delayed by around 25 minutes. On arrival at Gatwick South Terminal I went through passport control and baggage reclaim, used the shuttle to Gatwick North Terminal and easily found their office at Sofitel (not where all the other established car-hire companies are based). Upon being seen to by one of their operatives (I had to wait about 10 minutes until somebody was free), I was told that unfortunately I had arrived 'too late' and that the small car I had booked had already been given to somebody else. I was told 'not to worry' and that 'something 'would be sorted out'. I was then offered as an alternative a much bigger car, a Skoda SUV, but at a surcharge of GBP 260 for the rental period, subsequently 'generously' reduced to GBP 250. The last thing I needed or wanted was a big SUV, but given the circumstances, I had little alternative but to agree to this surcharge. The alternative would have been to cancel my booking there and then (apparently my intitial €214 would have been refunded, but would it?) go with my luggage to the other car rental companies in another part of Gatwick North Terminal hoping to book a small car from them - a prospect I did not relish at all. I really resented the way I had been treated by Drivalia. If I book (and pay for) a small car via Easyjet Car Hire, you can't just give my car to someone else. If you sell car hire via EasyJet's website, you presumably have access to Easyjet's arrivals information and can see that customer's flights are delayed. When I subsequently wrote to complain, the branch manager justified what had happened (in very bad English) by quoting the 'terms and conditions'. So be warned, if you are just a little late, the car you've booked may have been given to someone else and you will be forced to pay massively for an upgrade you don't need or want. A complete rip-off. Never again Drivalia.
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